Texas lawmaker says backers of 'hate crimes' bill don't understand the 'Christian heart'
There's widespread outrage among Christian conservatives following the House's passage of a bill to expand federal hate crimes statutes. One Texas lawmaker says the bill that passed on Thursday is "a very real danger" to Christians.
The controversial bill sponsored by Representative John Conyers (D-Michigan) would categorize victims of violent crimes based on gender, sexual orientation, and race, and would create additional penalties for attackers. It won the approval of 237 members of the House. (see how your representative voted
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll299.xml )
Congressman Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), a former judge, joined a coalition of black pastors and pro-family groups at a Capitol Hill rally to denounce the bill. He says the legislation is an attempt to punish people who promote sexual morality and to silent those who have the "religious beliefs" to point out when something is wrong.
"This is an effort to silence people who want to step up and talk about morals because some [people] don't want to be made to feel guilty," said Gohmert. "[T]hey feel like if you're going to make them feel guilty, you must not like them -- and that is not the case at all. That's not the teachings to which we ascribe, and it is not the reason we are here today."
The Texas congressman offered a bit of explanation. "I think part of this is born out of people who do not understand the Christian heart," he remarked. "This often comes from people who just despise anybody who disagrees them -- so they do not understand that we can disagree with what someone does and still love them."
A vote is expected next week in the Senate on a companion bill sponsored by Democrat Ted Kennedy. The White House has indicated it will veto the bill, saying it is "unnecessary and constitutionally questionable."
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